Theos-Talk Archives (July 1996 Message tl00596)

Regarding the discussion of whether the Society has a yoga, I recall a quote
from HPB (the exact source escapes me, but perhaps some of the more scholarly
list members will be able to supply it) to the effect that Theosophy itself is a
form of karma yoga blended with jnana yoga. IOW, the Society's emphasis on right
action is virtually identical to karma yoga (see Vivekananda's book on the
subject, for example) and the study of Theosophy leads to jnana yoga type
realizations.

Perhaps the party who inquired about particular methods was placing an undue
emphasis on the induction of trance or samadhi states. My view of the effect of
studying Theosophy is that it produces significant change in the entire
constitution of the individual over a very long term period, similar to some of
the metaphors contained in the Dhammapada regarding long term change. One
acquires a sense of what P.D. Ouspensky calls "scale", an awareness of the
vastness of the processes that we are involved with and of the extreme
limitations associated with the confinement of consciousness to a physical
vehicle. With this comes a relaxed attitude toward time. We are no longer
frustrated at not seeing dramatic results within six months...a year...a life.
There is a certainty that we are within the sphere of influence of a profound
and timeless process of development with which we now consciously choose to
cooperate.

--Frank Dyer